Say What You See!
"... The price of vanity
And self-deceit may be
Far more than you can well afford to pay..."
And self-deceit may be
Far more than you can well afford to pay..."
A new musical, inspired by
Hans Christian Andersen's
The Emperor's New Clothes.
Book, music and lyrics by Robert Cohen
Hans Christian Andersen's
The Emperor's New Clothes.
Book, music and lyrics by Robert Cohen
Journey to the tiny Alpen kingdom of Mittelandia, a snowy safe haven from all the ills of the world! Unlike his cousins King George (those pesky American colonists!) and King Louis of France (pesky peasants with their Phrygian caps!), the Emperor Valentine can be sure of the love and devotion of his people!
Yes, yes, there are problems - public servants going unpaid, protesters calling for change at the top - but the silent majority are eloquent in their preferences: if there's a choice between putting a roof on the new hospital or dressing up the Emperor like the world's most expensive peacock, the people would always go for the latter option. Wouldn't they? Well, apparently not everyone thinks so - but of course they haven't yet seen the magnificent suit of clothes under construction by the Emperor's new favourite tailors - Arsene and Esmeralda, newly arrived in the kingdom and with a long list of satisfied royal customers behind them (sometimes just a little too close behind them, they jokingly note!). Why, such tales they tell of such imperial |
satisfaction, it's a wonder these tailors have never settled for long at any of the royal courts they've visited.
No matter - the past is the past, and the now is what counts (in large amounts). For the State Opening of Parliament, Arsene and Esmeralda mean to create an outfit not just magnificent but truly magical - for these clothes will be visible only to the wise. The foolish and the incompetent will see nothing - thus allowing His Majesty to look at those around him and sort the wheat from the chaff - to drain the political swamp! And here's what's best - these tailors are so sure of His Majesty's ultimate satisfaction, they won't take a penny up front! As long as he provides them with the materials they need - diamonds, gold thread, that kind of thing - they'll be more than happy to take payment by results... Like many of the tales of Hans Christian Andersen, the ever-topical story of The Emperor's New Clothes is told for children but talks wisdom to the whole world. With book, music and lyrics by Robert Cohen, Say What You See is a work currently in progress. |
If you’d like to know more about Say What You See, contact Robert Cohen
at [email protected]
at [email protected]